Unofficial Results

Tuesday's election put Democrats in a position to retain power on Easton City Council, but a Republican apparently will join the five-member board. According to unofficial results collected by The Morning Call, Democrats Pamela A. Panto and Carole J. Heffley and Republican Tony E. Bassil were the top vote-getters in one of the tightest races in recent years. Panto received the most votes, 2,096. Bassil came in second with 2,033, and Heffley had 2,006. Democrat Kenneth Brown trailed the leaders by just two votes, with 2,004.

Incumbent Emmaus councilmen Wesley Barrett and Brent Labenberg were re-elected Tuesday night, along with Roy Anders, according to unofficial results compiled by Lehigh County. The three defeated Trevor Schneck, who finished fourth in a battle for three open four-year seats. Mayor Winfield Iobst was assured a win on Tuesday. He faced no opposition. Anders finished at the top of the pack with 1,299 votes followed by Barrett (1,224) and Labenberg (1,143. Schneck collected 759 votes.

In what could be a watershed event in Bucks County politics, an emotional U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick conceded defeat Wednesday to Democratic Iraq war veteran Patrick Murphy after an excruciatingly tight race that drew national attention. The Republican came up about 1,500 votes short in the 8th Congressional District -- meaning he lost by less than 1 percent of the almost 250,000 ballots cast. If the unofficial results stand, it would be the closest election in the district in a quarter-century.

By Nicole Radzievich, Matthew Assad and Jacqueline Palochko, Of The Morning Call | November 5, 2013

Republican John Brown, the relatively unknown mayor of tiny Bangor, defeated one of the Lehigh Valley's best-known Democrats, Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan, in Tuesday's contest for Northampton County executive, according to unofficial results. Callahan called Brown just before 10 p.m. to concede the race, in which Brown took early command and maintained a 5- to 6-percentage-point lead most of the night. As of 10:15 p.m., Brown had 52 percent of the vote and Callahan had 47 percent, with 118 of 154 precincts reporting, according to the unofficial tally.

Bethlehem Township Commissioner Robert Birk's 12-year reign on the board will end this year after he lost in Tuesday's primary by a few votes, according to unofficial results. Thomas J. Nolan, a former commissioner, received 157 votes for the Republican nomination for the 1st Ward, and Birk grabbed 144, according to the unofficial tally. Nolan said he also beat Birk by 10 votes as a write-in candidate on the Democratic ballot. "This is poetic justice, I suppose," Nolan said, referring to the 1991 election when Birk unseated him by a few votes.

The race for Jim Thorpe Area School Board,with 11 candidates seeking four Republican and Democratic nominations, was too close to call with partial, unofficial results available late Tuesday. With one of eight precincts reporting on the Democratic side, incumbents Thomas Henry and board President Peter McGuire led with 109 and 102 votes respectively. County Administrator Randall Smith had 84 votes as did incumbent Richard Karper. Trailing were incumbent Dennis McGinley with 78 votes; former board member Glenn Confer, 62; Eric Schlecht, 45; Robert Zovak, 23; Earl Kunkel Jr., 13; Richard Teates, 6; and Timothy Mordaunt, 5. On the GOP ballot, Karper and Henry had 29 votes; Smith, 28; McGinley, 23; Schlecht and McGuire, 20; Confer, 17; Zovak, 11; Kunkel, 9; Mordaunt, 5; and Teates, 4. Family ties were an issue in the election.

Veteran state legislator Paul Clymer appeared well on his way to winning his 13th term to represent the 145th District state House seat. According to unofficial results, Clymer, 67, had 5,829 votes, while Democratic challenger John Norvaisas, 36, had 3,214 with 11 of 29 districts reporting. "This was a campaign I really got involved in and worked hard at," Clymer said Tuesday night. "You do the best you can as a legislator to represent the people, and then you make sure you leave no stone unturned when you campaign.

Two incumbent Lower Macungie Township commissioners appeared to have lost their seats following a contentious campaign that one of the challengers called a referendum on the controversial David Jaindl land deal. Challengers Ron Beitler and Brian Higgins ousted incumbents Ron Eichenberg, the board's current president, and Roger Reis in a five-person race for three seats in the Republican primary, unofficial results showed. Beitler finished with 23 percent of the vote, followed by incumbent Ryan Conrad (22 percent)

Here are unofficial results from other Carbon and Schuylkill township races: In Ross Township, challenger Howard J. Beers scored a victory over incumbent Kurt H. Breitlauch for a supervisor seat. Beers received 370 votes and Breitlauch received 194 votes in unofficial results. Both men are registered Democrats. However, Beers received enough votes to be listed on the Republican ticket.

Two incumbent Lower Macungie Township commissioners appeared to have lost their seats following a contentious campaign that one of the challengers called a referendum on the controversial David Jaindl land deal. Challengers Ron Beitler and Brian Higgins ousted incumbents Ron Eichenberg, the board's current president, and Roger Reis in a five-person race for three seats in the Republican primary, unofficial results showed. Beitler finished with 23 percent of the vote, followed by incumbent Ryan Conrad (22 percent)

Bethlehem City Council President Robert Donchez claimed the city's top office Wednesday after his opponent in the mayoral primary, J. William Reynolds, called to concede after a nail-biting night of watching returns. While the results won't be certified for another couple days, unofficial results show Donchez winning by just 184 votes. "Even though we had our differences and we laid out two different visions for the city … I am confident we can find common ground to move this city forward," Reynolds said Wednesday afternoon.

Democrat Kevin Deely has conceded the 131 s t District state House race to incumbent Republican Justin Simmons, saying his decision was based on the cost of a vote recount and the fact that the margin separating the two candidates was significant. Deely said he spoke to Simmons Monday to concede the race. Deely, 36, of Upper Saucon Township, said Simmons was "gracious" and "understood there was a need to work together on some issues. " Simmons, who will begin his second term in January, said his opponent in this month's election "put up a good fight.

Republican state Rep. Justin Simmons received 16 more votes than Democratic opponent Kevin Deely in the Nov. 6 election, according to Lehigh County's elections office. In a vote count completed Wednesday morning by Lehigh County, Simmons, who represents the 131 s t District, had 13,014 votes to Deely's 12,998. Those results are not expected to change, but have not yet been certified, according to Timothy Benyo. He said the results would not be certified until ballots in all of the county's election races are counted.

Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach appeared triumphant over a challenger from the tea party movement according to unofficial results from Tuesday's elections. With more than half the precincts reporting, Gerlach had about 80 percent of the vote to challenger Patrick Henry Sellers' 21 percent and The Associated Press called the race for Gerlach. On the Democratic side, Manan Trivedi was leading Doug Pike for the party's nomination to challenge Gerlach in the fall. Trivedi had about 60 percent of the vote compared to 40 percent for Pike.

Don Cunningham was leading in his fight for a second term as Lehigh County executive Tuesday, capturing about 52 percent of the vote to Republican challenger Scott Ott's 48 percent, early results showed. Reached by phone before 10 p.m., Cunningham said he was pleased with the results, especially considering the national political tide has been turning against Democrats this year. "In this climate right now, to be able to tread against what has really been a Republican trend across the nation ... I'm humbled," he said.

Democrat Russell A. Kresge Jr. clung to a 4-vote victory over Republican David Shay to win a seat on the Ross Township Board of Supervisors. According to unofficial results, Kresge topped Shay 424-420.

Democratic Edward W. Messenlehner of 40 Schoeneck Ave. was elected to a second six-year term as supervisor in an unopposed race. Messenlehner, the township's roadmaster, received 314 votes, according to unofficial results.

Republicans maintained control of Lehigh County's Board of Commissioners Tuesday night, with unofficial election results showing them winning key districts despite a spirited Democratic campaign effort. Republicans have run the county's legislature for a generation, and have held a 5-4 advantage for the past two years. They held three of the five seats on the ballot this year. Democrats saw major opportunities in two of those districts, though, and both parties have been spending heavily on the races, pouring tens of thousands of dollars into campaigns that typically have been waged for less than $15,000.

A day after the Democratic primary, Northampton County Executive John Stoffa said he was humbled by his 14-point win over County Council President Ann McHale, but he's now preoccupied with a different type of vote: county council's. Stoffa will need the votes of at least five members to leave behind an appreciable legacy during his second and -- he promised -- his last term, if he defeats Republican newcomer J.C. Kelleher in November. "Everything comes down to five people," Stoffa said.